Suck It And See
	Produced by Phil Chill and Chris Parry (track 2 by Mark Saunders)
	Released on September 17, 1991
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
91765-2 cover [high resolution scan]

K ronomyth 1.0: MORRISSEY LESS. A one-off outfit that went from Non Fiction to non-function in one year, leaving behind the horribly named Suck It And See beneath the waning moon of Madchester and the immovable star of Morrissey. Although a bit too breathy for their own good, Candyland does a credible job of mixing the more popular Manchester elements on their debut: club music, psychedelic electronic textures, sexuality and shoegazing underdogma (an egregious namecheck of Aldous Huxley notwithstanding). Their greatest crime was simple tardiness; the lords of Madchester had already been named and crowned by 1991, with music’s roving ear now settled in Seattle instead. With one foot caught in a quickly shrinking spotlight (James, Electronic) and another dragging in a dimming but not distant past (Scritti Politti, New Order), Candyland was going nowhere fast. Those who stuck around to hear them were treated to a mix of sub-Morrissey/U2 songwriting that still left plenty of room for appreciation: “Bitter Moon,” “Something to Somebody,” “Reternity,” “We Will Not Leave.” What’s missing is that indefinable oomph that separates product from legend. In a genre known for arresting singers, Felix Tod couldn’t get arrested. He has a good voice where a great one is required, a point that wiser producers might have downplayed by playing up the musicians behind him. The track placement is also a problem, as the opening “Precious” is one of the least interesting songs on here (if they had shortened the intro to “Fountain O’ Youth” by five seconds it would have made the better leader). Fans of the Madchester scene inclined to dance and late to leave should eventually seek out Candyland and see for themselves what they missed. If you caught them the first time, may you have many happy reterns. There’s also a review of this at All Music Guide (but I was so much older then).

91765-2 back sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. PRECIOUS    (Candyland)    3:40
2. FOUNTAIN O' YOUTH    (Felix Tod/David Ayers/Colin Payne)    4:00
3. BITTER MOON    (Felix Tod/David Ayers/Colin Payne)    3:53
4. SOMETHING TO SOMEBODY    (Felix Tod/David Ayers)    4:49
5. RETERNITY    (Felix Tod/David Ayers)    5:03
6. RAINBOW    (Felix Tod/David Ayers/Colin Payne)    3:56
7. IVY TO OAK    (Felix Tod/David Ayers/Colin Payne)    3:38
8. KINGDOM    (Felix Tod/David Ayers)    4:39
9. THE BODY IS THE BOOK    (Felix Tod/David Ayers/Colin Payne)    3:02
10. BEHOLD THE MOTHERLODE    (Felix Tod/David Ayers/Colin Payne)    4:41
11. WE WILL NOT LEAVE    (Felix Tod/David Ayers)    2:35

CREDITS

DAVID WESLEY AYERS JR. -- guitars
KENEDIID -- bass
M.C. KENZIE -- the most beats
COLIN PAYNE -- key controller
FELIX TOD -- vocals
Jeremy Allom -- mixing
Mark Saunders -- engineer (2)
Steve Proctor -- remix and additional production
V -- art
Robert Ogilvy -- band photo

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